Mikhail Aleksandrovich Bakunin - The instinct to command others, in its primitive essence, is...

The instinct to command others, in its primitive essence, is a carnivorous, altogether bestial and savage instinct. Under the influence of the mental development of man, it takes on a somewhat more ideal form and becomes somewhat ennobled, presenting itself as the instrument of reason and the devoted servant of that abstraction, or political fiction, which is called the public good. But in its essence it remains just as baneful, and it becomes even more so when, with the application of science, it extends its scope and intensifies the power of its action. If there is a devil in history, it is this power principle.

Mikhail Aleksandrovich Bakunin

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Mikhail Aleksandrovich Bakunin Quotes

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The instinct to command others, in its primitive essence, is a carnivorous, altogether bestial and savage instinct. Under the influence of the mental development of man, it takes on a somewhat more ideal form and becomes somewhat ennobled, presenting itself as the instrument of reason and the devoted servant of that abstraction, or political fiction, which is called the public good. But in its essence it remains just as baneful, and it becomes even more so when, with the application of science, it extends its scope and intensifies the power of its action. If there is a devil in history, it is this power principle. Mikhail Aleksandrovich Bakunin

They Said So®

Keywords

instinct command primitive essence carnivorous altogether bestial savage influence mental development man takes ideal form ennobled presenting instrument reason devoted servant abstraction political fiction called public good remains baneful application science extends scope intensifies power action devil history principle

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